Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transport vehicle for sliver cans with a can exchange mechanism for the cans, which travels between a can delivery station, the work stations of at least one sliver-processing textile machine, and a discharge station for empty cans.
A great number of devices have heretofore been proposed with regard to mechanizing and automating the manipulation of the sliver cans in sliver-processing textile machines and also with regard to mechanizing and automating transport of sliver cans between a can delivery station, the work stations of the textile machine and a discharge station for the empty cans. Particularly transport vehicles for sliver cans contribute to making the work of the human operators easier and to adapt the delivery of sliver cans to the automatic mode of operation of the sliver-processing textile machines.
From German Utility Model DE-GM 88 12 622, for instance, an apparatus for changing the sliver cans in a spinning machine is known. With that apparatus, cans in particular that can be deposited below a work station and have virtually the same width as such a work station are transported. These are so-called rectangular cans, which are longer than they are wide. Transport vehicles for sliver cans must be built in such a way that they can pass between the sliver-processing textile machines and moreover can perform an automatic change of sliver cans in the corridors between machines.
Particularly with such rectangular cans, the space between the machines can cause problems in manipulating the cans. The prior art apparatus takes up a great deal of space, for instance. To assure perfect manipulation of the cans, the undercarriage of that prior art apparatus must be wider than the cans placed on it. The manipulating apparatus for receiving and setting down the cans and for displacing the cans beneath the work stations is embodied so that it can manipulate only one can at a time. To manipulate a can, it must therefore be driven to it first and then positioned above it.